Pacing issues and questionable CGI can’t hold down what has become the first Star Wars prequel to not completely misrepresent the brand.
Felicity Jones and Diego Luna star as Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor, respectively, in the inaugural spin-off film of the canonized Star Wars Universe. Going into the film, I was curious to see how much director Gareth Edwards and co. would rely on pre-established characters and locations, and what new elements could be introduced into the expansive Galaxy Far Far Away. Needless to say, I am not disappointed. In the beginning of the film (after the absent opening crawl, but made up for with a sweet title card ten minutes into the film), Cassian Andor is meeting with a man in a city market regarding information about a spy with valuable secrets for the Rebel Cause. This scene does two things. First, it displays an aesthetic that I have been waiting to see in a Star Wars film for years now, being an urbanized market on a metropolitan planet. I hope that future films will adopt this setting, and I personally would love to see the (as of writing this, stuck in development hell) Boba Fett solo film as a gangster-film set in the seedy underbelly of a crime-ridden techno-planet. I mean come on… you can’t read “crime-ridden techno-planet” and not have a nerdgasm based on Blade Runner nostalgia alone. Oh that’s right, I’m writing a review for Rogue One. The second thing this scene does is set up Diego Luna’s character as a stone-cold killer, by having him kill the contact after he gives him the information he needs. It is his “Han-Shot-First moment”, without all of the controversy, if you will.
After a very strong opening, the film seemed to drag a bit. Dialogue-heavy scenes weighed down parts of the film in between action set pieces. It’s not that these scenes didn’t contain interesting information, but rather that they didn’t convey that information interestingly enough to keep the audience engaged. Take Danny Boyle’s 2015 film Steve Jobs, for example. It is a 3-hour film showcasing the titular character at three distinct moments in the tech king’s digital revolution. This film features no action, entirely resting on the strength of its dialogue, acting, and editing. Rogue One, and in fact all films coming out today can learn a thing or two from this style of filmmaking. Exposition doesn’t just have to be shot/counter-shot. Throw in some interesting cinematography, play with angles, let the editor take chances. This would have kept these scenes in line with the rest of the films high-octane pace, rather than skidding the film to a halt every time the writers need us to know a key piece of information.
In addition to the pacing of the film, the other critique I have is the decision to include Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin as a central character to the story. When I first saw the CGI rendition, with Tarkin speaking with his back to the camera, his face only visible in the reflection of the glass in front of him, I marveled. I thought to myself “this is how you incorporate a CGI character into a live action film!” …and then he turned around. The camera makes sure to zoom to a close-up of his waxy, computer generated face and the shot remains static for a good 15-20 seconds, staring into those cold, lifeless eyes. Damnit! They nailed it with him only being shown sparingly, but couldn’t help themselves. They had to show the audience just how much money they dumped into the digital recreation. This same thing happened in Furious 7 when the late Paul Walker was resurrected for his final scene of the franchise. A medium-range shot is effective at showing the character, but the editors then decide to smash cut to a close up, revealing how lifeless the rendition is. The key to computer generated humans is to keep their scenes short, and simple.
With the criticisms out of the way, we can move on to the brilliance of the film. It manages to capture the spirit of the original trilogy’s time period in which it is set, and add some distinction of its own. Featuring a climactic battle with AT-AT’s storming a beach to combat Rebel forces had me giddy in the theater. Stellar performances from the incredibly well rounded cast also help keep the film up to the high standards of its predecessor. The breakout character of K-2SO, a comedic android voiced by Alan Tudyk was an incredible joy to behold on screen, and his presence made the film an even more enjoyable experience. On track to earn over $140 million at the box office this opening weekend, the film gives both the audience and the studio confidence going forward that films set in the Star Wars universe without the episodic banner will earn their place amongst the epic Saga. I would urge you to go out and see it, but who are we kidding? With those box office numbers, chances are, you already have. The Force is strong with this one.
The Fan Men 